The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-10-13
DEBrRUCrEvE RLAMEs.

The Merchants Hotel, GrzRth 4 Ew-
AnEss Warehouse ana the Fourth
AVenue Livery stable LeveAed - che
Ground
A little after O'Clock Friday morn
ing IRE was discovered in the rear of the
Merchants hotel, corner of Fourth and
Merchants. The alarm was given and
taken up by the switch engine, which
screeched In most unearthly manner.
The bells were soon ringing, and the
fire company responded quickly, but
he building, being a. frame, was soon
beyond their control. The inmates
were all aroused and grabbed their
clothes and narrowly escaped with their
lives. Many saved scarcely enough
clothes to hide their nakedness, while
others had all but their stockings and
shoes. No baggage mol. furniture was
gotten out.
The flames soon caught the adjoin-
ing frame building of Griffith s. Ew-
ing. The fire became so hot that the
company could not touch the building,
and their attention was turned to the
houses ON the opposite side of the
streets and alleys. Halls residence
across caught once or twice and the
store rooms of Ireland Bros. and Con-
ner Bros. were caught but extinguish-
ed. In the meantime the barn owned
by Mrs. Nichols caught and added a
great deal to the heat on account of
the eombustible material it contained.
Brands were flying in every direction
and all the buildings in the vicinity
were vigorously watched. At one time
it was thought that the store buildings
would go as the wind shifted around
to the west. The gale, however, turn
ed back, and the three streams man
aged to cool off the other buildings
without any serious losses to them.
Some of the wagons were run out of the
warehouse, and all the horses, vehicles
and some oats taken out of the barn.
No one was seriously burned or hurt.
The hotel was owned by Mrs. M. l..
Schmidling and the loss will be hers.
A trade was being contaminated
whereby T. F. Byrnes was to get the
building, but no deeds were transferred.
w. j. Jones will lose some on the
building by mortgage he held. Crit
fifth s. Ewing are about the heaviest
losers. Mrs. Nichols loss of the barn
falls very heavily on her, and those es-
pecially are to be pitied who lost all
their clothes and baggage. NJ. F. Ford,
who run the barn, lost about three tons
of hay and some oats. The goods of
Ireland and Conner Bros. were damaged
by water, but were fully insured. The
loss is about $40, 600, with an insurance
held by the following companies: On
the hotel, 81, 900 in the National Insur-
ance company, w. Rees, agent; on the
furniture, 81 900 in Milwaukee Mechan-
les, j. c. Burnett, agent; on the ware
house, $500 in the German American,
II. Dunlap, agent; on the stock of hard--
ware, 81 900 in the Fire Insurance COM
pany of London, Chas. Fletcher, agent;
$500 in the Girard, w. Rees, agent, and
and $500 in each of the following: Ira
ders' of Chicago. London Assurance
and Pennsylvania Fire, H. Dunlap,
agent. On the barn, $500 in the Con-
necticut, G. S. Riggs, agent.
Nothing is known as to how it
caught fire. Mr.. A. Bundrem had been
to the back of the building about half
an hour before the alarm and every
thing was all right and there were no
lights or fire in any of the stoves. The
wind was blowing gale and aspark
from an engine might have started it.
Several joints of the hose were burned
so badly that they are unfit for use.
Mr.. Bundrem left his clothes in the
building, but found his spectacles and
gold watch this morning. They wer Q
considerably charred, but the watch
was still running.